The world's first 2.5-inch HDD intended for tablets (but also available as a standalone device) has one thing going for it: It allows Archos to release two new G9 tablets that'll each have 250GB of storage. That is a lot of room. But HDDs aren't a good component for tablets, even if they are 7mm thin. With a laptop, the user typically powers down the machine before transport; tablets tend to be an always-on device. Which means that hard drive is going to be spinning away at 7,200 RPM when you don't want it to (e.g., when it's bouncing around in your bag or when you're passing it between friends to watch a video). And honestly, who needs that much space?

The one thing that might make these tablets hard to pass up is the price. The 8- and 10-inch G9s will cost around $280 and $350, respectively. Which, for that amount of storage space, is an amazing deal. But price probably doesn't matter all that much when the tablet in question isn't all that great. [CNET]